Witty Women

Jagmohan is on Razia's left, in direct line of fire 

Time was when we were like any other Club. Men cracked jokes and women laughed. Today, the situation is reversed. In what is being seen as our 'ladeej log' turning increasingly self- assertive, they are the ones to be coming up with the smartest one-liners while the 'gents log' have become mute witnesses.
For example, try saying “Angutha Andar…” during the wrist-rolling exercise and Mallika Kagzi would instantly pipe in with “Zabaan Bandh”. The original saying is “Angutha Andar, Muththiya Bandh” or “Thumbs Inside, Fists Closed”. But Mallika, in her own way, has turned this around to “Hold your tongue” in order to shut everyone up while exercising.
The exercises are the time when much of the talking and wisecracks fly thick and fast, no matter how hard anyone might try to stop the women. Nahid Khan and Razia Khan have been champs at this. Nobody dare get in their way of exchanging wisecracks and repartees, as Jagmohan Papneja was to learn today. He wanted to leave early and tried to rush Razia as she conducted the exercises.

Tea, yet again, from Mallika Kagzi today

On the other hand, there was Khatoon Baig who wanted Razia to slow down. Caught between the two, Razia decided to engage Jagmohan in a hilarious slanging match, meeting every volley with a counter-volley. Finally, she played her ace – an Urdu sher (couplet) which she said would make Jagmohan 'thanda'. Indeed it did. No sher was uttered, but Jagmohan already developed cold feet. He became incredibly quiet and patient after that!
Now sample another one. Nahid’s birthday falls this Saturday and the calendar printed for her has got misplaced. Many suspect that someone has deliberately whacked it from the China Hut where it was seen last. Nahid is terribly upset and every morning checks with the watchman, the juice-wallah, milkman… even the cobbler outside the Gate. Assuring her that a new calendar would be made, isn’t helping. “But what would anybody be doing with MY calendar?” she wants to know.
“Maybe you have a fan somewhere,” Razia consoled her. “He must be doing puja to your calendar every day.”
Suddenly Santosh Tyagi, sitting nearby, woke up: “What kind of fan? Ceiling fan? Or table fan!”
The best part about these women is that they do not realise when they are being funny. They are such natural wits.